UC-NRLF 


$B    bD    571 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

University  of  California. 


GIFT 


Class 


Gen.  John  Sullivan 


BATTLE  OF  RHODE  ISLAND. 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  FORMER  AND  A  DESCRIPTION  OF 
THE  LATTER. 


BY    THOMAS    HAMILTON    MURRAY, 

Secretary-General,  A?nerican-lrish  Historical  Society. 


THE  battle  of  Rhode  Island  took  place  August  29, 
1778.  The  Americans  were  commanded  by  Gen. 
John  Sullivan,  and  the  conflict  resulted  disastrously  to 
the  British  arms.  The  Americans  withstood  and  repelled 
successive  attacks  by  the  foe,  and  when  the  battle  closed 
and  the  sun  went  down  the  British  had  lost  nearly  one 
fifth  of  the  entire  force  they  had  taken  into  action. 

Lafayette  pronounced  the  engagement  "  the  best 
fought  action  of  the  war.11  Congress  passed  a  vote  of 
thanks  to  General  Sullivan  and  complimented  him  on 
having  repulsed  the  enemy  and  maintained  the  field. 
He   was  also  specially  thanked  by  the  states  of  Rhode 


228349 


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Island  and  New  Hampshire,  while  the  praise  extended  by 
Washington,  himself,  was  also  prompt  and  sincere. 

Gen.  John  Sullivan  was  of  Irish  parentage  and  was 
born  at  Berwick,  Me.,  in  1740.  His  ancestors  were  of 
the  historic  Clan  CSullivan  of  the  Irish  Kingdom  of  Mun- 
ster.  The  CTSullivans  in  antiquity  and  prominence  rank 
with  the  oldest  and  most  distinguished  families  in  Europe. 
Irish  history  for  nearly  a  thousand  years  records  their 
greatness.  They  have  also  been  distinguished  in  France 
and  Spain,  while  in  the  United  States,  John,  father  of 
the  general,  has  been  the  founder  of  one  of  the  most  dis- 
tinguished families. 

As  early  as  A.  D.  909,  a  chief  of  the  Clan  was  slain 
in  battle  with  the  Danes.  Again,  A.  D.  943,  in  a  great 
engagement  with  a  Danish  host  in  Ireland  the  Irish 
forces  were  commanded  by  another  lord  of  the  Clan. 
During  the  conflict,  he  slew  in  personal  combat  a  son  of 
the  King  of  Denmark.  The  O'Sullivans  have  been  hered- 
itary chieftains  of  Beare  and  Bantry.  They  possessed  the 
castles  of  Ardea,  Dunkerron,  and  Dunboy,  had  various 
other  strongholds,  and  for  centuries  could  muster  thou- 
sands of  retainers  and  men-at-arms.  The  head  of  one 
branch  of  the  family  was  styled  CTSullivan  Mor ;  and  that 
of  another,  O'Sullivan  Beare.  At  the  period  of  the  Eng- 
lish invasion  of  Ireland  the  Clan  was  among  the  most 
powerful  in  the  country,  and  for  a  long  period  bravely 
kept  aloft  the  Irish  banner  and  unflinchingly  opposed 
the  forces  of  England. 

In  Spain,  the  O'Sullivans  were  Knights  of  St.  Iago  and 
Counts  of  Berehaven.     Other  representatives  of  the  Clan 


there  were  of  the  Regiment  of  Limerick,  the  Regiment  of 
Waterford,  and  the  Regiment  of  Ultonia,  all  in  the  Span- 
ish service.  In  France,  Sir  John  O'Sullivan,  a  native  of 
Kerry,  became  a  colonel.  In  1745,  he  was  appointed 
Adjutant-General  to  the  Pretender,  and  accompanied  the 
latter  in  his  invasion  of  Britain,  landing  at  Lochnanuagh, 
August  5,  1745.  With  Cameron  of  Lochiel,  O'Sullivan 
commanded  the  900  Highlanders  who  captured  Edin- 
burgh, September  16,  1745.  In  his  position  as  adjutant 
and  quartermaster-general  of  the  army,  O'Sullivan  formed 
the  latter  in  line  of  battle  at  Culloden.  The  O'Sullivans 
have  been  allied  by  marriage  with  the  MacCarthys,  the 
MacDonoughs,  the  MacSweeneys,  the  O'Keefes,  the 
Fitzgeralds,  and  other  historic  Irish  families. 

This,  then,  was  the  sturdy,  gallant  stock  from  which 
sprang  Gen.  John  Sullivan,  the  hero  of  the  battle  of 
Rhode  Island.  The  chastisement  he  administered  on 
this  occasion  to  the  old-time  enemy  of  his  house  and 
race,  was  worthy  of  the  indomitable  spirit  of  his  heroic 
sires. 

General  Sullivan's  grandfather,  Major  Philip  O'Sulli- 
van of  Kerry,  was  an  officer  in  the  garrison  that  defended 
Limerick.  General  Sullivan's  father  was  probably  edu- 
cated on  the  continent  of  Europe,  as  education  of  Irish 
Catholics  was,  at  that  period,  banned  by  English  law  in 
Ireland.  The  father  of  the  General  was  an  excellent 
mathematician  and  a  splendid  Greek  and  Latin  scholar. 

He  wedded  Margery  Browne,  a  native  of  Cork.  A  little 
girl  at  the  time,  she  was  among  his  fellow-passengers  on 
the  voyage  from  Ireland  in  1723.     They  were  married  at 


Berwick,  Me.,  several  years  afterward.  The  husband 
became  a  schoolmaster  and  taught  in  Berwick  and  vicin- 
ity until  he  was  nearly  ninety  years  of  age.  Like  "Old 
Master"  Kelly  at  Tower  Hill,  R.  I.,  he  imparted  tuition 
to  large  numbers  of  American  youth.  His  wife  was  a 
woman  of  sterling  worth  and,  like  that  other  Irishwoman, 
Sarah  Alexander  Perry,  of  Rhode  Island  (mother  of  Com- 
modore Perry,  the  hero  of  Lake  Erie),  early  inculcated 
patriotism  in  her  sons.  There  were  five  of  these,  to  wit : 
Benjamin,  John  (the  General),  James, -Daniel,  and  Eben 
Sullivan. 

Benjamin  was  lost  at  sea  some  years  before  the  Revo- 
lution. Daniel  was  a  manufacturer  and  ship  owner. 
He  raised  and  commanded  a  company  of  Minute  Men. 
The  British  considered  him  one  of  the  most  dangerous 
patriots  in  Maine.  He  was  at  length  captured  and  con- 
fined in  the  Jersey  prison  ship.  Later,  he  was  exchanged 
but  died  on  the  way  home  as  the  result  of  the  brutal 
treatment  he  had  received.  James  became  governor  of 
Massachusetts,  and  served  two  terms  in  that  position. 
Eben  participated  in  military  operations  during  the  Rev- 
olution. John  became  a  major-general  and  forms  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  : 

He  received  his  early  education  from  his  father,  the 
schoolmaster,  studied  law,  and  practised  at  Durham, 
N.  H.  In  1772  he  was  commissioned  major  in  the  mil- 
itia, and  was  a  delegate  to  the  First  Continental  Con- 
gress. Upon  the  approach  of  hostilities,  he,  with  John 
Langdon,  conducted  an  expedition  against  Fort  William 
and  Mary,   hauled  down  the   British   flag  and  captured 


ninety-six  barrels  of  powder.  Much  of  this  was  subse- 
quently used  by  the  patriots  at  the  battle  of  Bunker 
Hill.  Sullivan  was  commissioned  a  brigadier-general  by 
Congress,  participated  in  the  siege  of  Boston,  and  by  his 
own  exertions  raised  2,000  New  Hampshire  men  who 
also  took  part  in  the  siege.  A  great  many  of  these  men 
were  of  Irish  blood.  The  British  evacuated  Boston  on 
St.  Patrick's  Day,  March  17,  1776. 

Immediately  after  this  event,  General  Sullivan  was 
ordered  to  Rhode  Island  with  his  brigade  to  repel  a 
threatened  attack  by  the  enemy.  This  was  the  General's 
first  military  visit  to  the  state.  Of  his  second  tour  of 
duty  there,  more  later.  Sullivan  and  Greene,  the  latter  a 
native  of  Warwick,  R.  I.,  were  commissioned  Major- 
Generals  on  the  same  day.  The  two  became  close  friends 
and  were  associated  on  many  an  important  occasion.  At 
the  crossing  of  the  Delaware,  Sullivan  led  the  American 
right  that  captured  the  Hessians  at  Trenton.  He  made 
a  night  descent  on  Staten  Island  for  which  he  received 
the  thanks  of  Congress.  He  was  with  Washington  at 
West  Chester  and  Princeton.  He  commanded  the  Ameri- 
can right  wing  at  Brandy  wine  and  at  German  town,  de- 
feating the  British  left.  These  were  but  a  few  of  many 
important  events  in  which  he  prominently  figured. 

THE   BATTLE   OF   RHODE   ISLAND. 

The  British,  under  General  Clinton,  had  taken  posses- 
sion of  Newport,  R.  I.,  in  December,  1776.  For  some 
time  it  had  been  the  design  of  Washington  to  drive  them 
from  thence  and  from  the  island  of  Rhode  Island.     Two 


expeditions  were  planned  to  accomplish  this.  The 
original  one  was  to  have  been  put  into  execution  in  1777 
when  Major-General  Spencer  had  command  in  the  state. 
He  failed,  however,  to  carry  it  out.  As  a  result  he  was 
tried,  and,  though  acquitted,  his  recall  from  the  state  was 
decided  upon. 

On  the  recommendation  of  Washington  and  Greene, 
General  Sullivan  was  appointed  by  Congress  to  succeed 
Spencer.  Under  date  of  Providence,  March  30,  1778, 
Gov.  Nicholas  Cooke,  of  Rhode  Island,  thus  wrote  to 
Sullivan : 

44  Sir: — I  am  favored  with  yours  of  the  26th  inform- 
ing me  of  your  appointment  to  the  command  of  the 
troops  in  this  state.  I  have  the  pleasure  of  informing 
you  that  the  appointment  is  highly  satisfactory  to  us, 
and  we  hope  will  prove  equally  beneficial  to  the  public 
and  glorious  to  you." 

In  May,  1778,  the  General  Assembly  of  Rhode  Island 
"  Resolved,  That  it  be  recommended  to  the  Hon.  Major- 
General  Sullivan,  to  take  up  all  persons  who  are  sus- 
pected or  known  to  be  unfriendly  to  the  state,  or  to  the 
United  States  in  general,  that  he  shall  think  proper,  and 
proceed  against  them  according  to  the  known  practice  in 
such  cases  in  the  army  under  the  immediate  command  of 
His  Excellency  General  Washington." 

On  May  3,  1778,  Sullivan  transmitted  a  report  to 
Congress  relative  to  the  Rhode  Island  department  in 
which  he  says : 

"  I  do  myself  the  honor  to  Inclose  Congress  a  return 


of  the  troops  at  this  post.  The  three  last-mentioned 
regiments  leave  on  this  day  so  that  my  force  will  con- 
sist of  the  residue  mentioned  in  the  return.  We  have 
not  a  man  from  Connecticut,  and  but  part  of  two  com- 
panies from  Massachusetts  Bay.  Some  few  have  arrived 
from  New  Hampshire  and  about  half  their  quota  are  on 
the  march.  With  these  troops,  I  have  to  guard  a  shore 
of  upwards  of  sixty  miles  in  extent,  from  Point  Judith  to 
Providence  on  the  west,  and  from  Providence  to  Sakonnet 
Point  on  the  east,  against  an  enemy  who  can  bring  all 
their  strength  to  any  point  they  choose.  I  am  exceeding 
happy  that  they  know  nothing  of  our  strength,  and  are 
fortifying  against  an  attack  which  they  daily  expect. 

"  They  have  on  the  island  and  in  the  posts  adja- 
cent, four  regiments  of  Hessians,  and  the  Twenty-sec- 
ond, Forty-third,  and  Fifty-sixth  British  ;  making  on  the 
whole,  3,600,  exclusive  of  a  small  regiment,  consisting 
of  127,  composed  of  refugees  and  deserters,  and  com- 
manded by  one  Whiteman.  I  inclose  Congress  a  plan 
of  their  fortifications  round  the  town.  They  have 
besides,  a  very  strong  work  on  Butt's  Hill,  a  small 
redoubt  opposite  Bristol  Ferry,  another  at  the  entrance 
of  our  common  ferry  point,  and  two  small  works  opposite 
Frogland  Point.  .  .  .  There  are  seven  vessels  of 
war  [British],  and  two  galleys,  stationed  in  the  following 
manner,  viz.  :  The  ■  Kingfisher1  and  two  galleys,  in  the 
East  Passage  at  Little  Compton  ;  in  the  main  channel, 
the  ■  Flora1  and  «  Juno  ^ ;  in  the  west  channel,  the  «  Som- 
erset 1 :  at  the  town,  the  •  Nonesuch,1  the  ■  Falcon,7 
and  a  frigate,  the  name  of  which  I  have  not  learned. 


8 

"  This  disposition  of  their  shipping  was  made  to 
entrap  Captain  Whipple,  in  the  ■  Providence '  frigate ; 
but  on  the  night  of  the  30th,  he  took  advantage  of  a 
violent  northeast  storm,  passed  them  under  a  heavy  fire, 
which  he  warmly  returned,  and  got  safe  to  sea.  As  the 
number  of  troops  destined  for  this  department  will  be  so 
incompetent  to  defend  it  against  a  sudden  attack,  I  think 
that  the  two  State  galleys,  if  properly  fitted,  would  be  of 
great  advantage.  ...  I  also  beg  Congress  to  order 
Gen.  Stark,  who  has  returned  to  New  Hampshire  from 
Albany,  to  me  at  this  place  as  I  shall  need  two  brigadiers 
when  the  troops  arrive ;  and  the  more  so,  as  the  extent  of 
country  to  guard  will  be  so  great.  " 

On  June  19,  ensuing,  Congress  instructed  Washington, 
at  the  request  of  General  Sullivan  and  Governor  Greene, 
to  return  the  Rhode  Island  troops  to  their  own  state,  for 
the  latter's  defence.  The  Navy  board  was  directed  to  pre- 
pare three  galleys  for  the  defence  of  the  Providence,  War- 
ren, and  Taunton  rivers.  Preparations  for  the  expedi- 
tion against  the  British  at  Newport  went  actively  for- 
ward under  the  orders  of  General  Sullivan.  In  the  mean- 
time, a  British  force  of  500  or  600  was  sent,  on  May 
25,  1778,  up  the  Bay  to  interrupt  the  preparations.  The 
British  landed  about  dawn  and  did  great  damage  in  War- 
ren and  Bristol.  They  plundered  private  dwellings  and 
carried  off  such  articles  of  value  as  could  easily  be  trans- 
ported. In  Bristol,  they  burned  the  Episcopal  church 
and  eighteen  of  the  best  houses. 

In  some  cases  rings  were  torn  from  women's  fingers 
and  buckles  from  their  shoes.     Aprons,  handkerchiefs, 


and  necklaces  were  taken  as  well  as  household  furniture 
and  other  articles.  Several  prisoners  were  captured, 
brutally  treated,  and  carried  off.  A  quantity  of  live- 
stock was  also  collected,  but  the  marauders  were  pre- 
vented from  securing  this  by  a  party  of  volunteers,  under 
Colonel  Barton,  sent  down  from  Providence  by  General 
Sullivan.  These  fell  upon  the  enemy's  rear  and  com- 
pelled him  to  abandon  at  least  so  much  of  the  booty. 
Next  day  the  British  soldiers  offered  their  plunder  for 
sale  in  the  streets  of  Newport.  The  barbarities  inflicted 
on  the  people  of  Warren  and  Bristol  called  from  General 
Sullivan  a  sharp,  condemnatory  letter  to  the  British 
commander,  General  Pigot.  In  this  letter  Sullivan 
declared  the  enemy's  expedition  to  have  been  ««  darkened 
with  savage  cruelty  and  stained  with  indelible  disgrace." 

The  news  that  a  French  fleet  had  arrived  off  New  York, 
caused  the  British  at  Newport  to  make  preparations  for 
withstanding  a  combined  attack, — from  Sullivan's  forces 
by  land,  and  from  the  French  by  sea.  The  King's  stores 
were  removed  from  the  Newport  wharves  to  a  place  of 
safety.  New  redoubts  were  thrown  up,  and  the  forts  on 
Brenton's  Point,  Goat  Island,  and  Rose  Island  speedily 
rebuilt.  In  the  meantime,  Sullivan  had  been  collecting 
men  and  material  on  the  mainland  ready  to  cross  over, 
from  Tiverton,  to  the  island  of  Rhode  Island  on  which 
Newport  stands.  For  days.  Providence,  Warren,  and 
Bristol  resounded  with  the  tramp  of  marching  men  and 
the  rumble  of  artillery—  patriots  hastening  to  the  front. 

The  island  of  Rhode  Island,  upon  which  the  battle  was 
fought,  is  within  the  state  of  Rhode  Island  but  is  sepa- 


IO 

fated  from  the  mainland  by  Narragansett  and  Mount  Hope 
bays  and  the  Sakonnet  river.  The  island  is  about  fif- 
teen miles  in  length  and  of  very  irregular  width,  being 
only  three  or  four  miles  across  at  the  widest  part.  New- 
port is  situated  at  the  S.  S.  W.  end  of  the  island,  which 
fronts  on  the  Atlantic  ocean.  Irish  settlers  are  found 
in  Newport  and  vicinity  fully  one  hundred  years  before 
the  Revolution.  Among  the  old-time  Irish  names  there 
long  before  the  Declaration  of  Independence  are  Casey, 
Larkin,  Kelly,  Murphy,  and  the  like.  That  distinguished 
Irishman,  George  Berkeley,  "the  Kilkenny  scholar," 
arrived  at  Newport  in  1729,  took  up  his  residence  in  its 
neighborhood,  and  was  quickly  conceded  the  intellectual 
leadership  of  the  colony. 

On  July  29,  1778,  the  magnificent  French  fleet  under 
D'Estaing  arrived  off  Brenton's  ledge,  below  Newport. 
It  comprised  twelve  ships  of  the  line,  four  frigates,  and  a 
corvette.  The  ships  of  the  line  comprised  the  Langue- 
doc,  Marseillais,  Provence,  Tonnant,  Saggittaire,  Gner- 
riere,  Fa?itasque,  Char,  Protect eur ',  Vaillant,  ZHe,  and 
Hector]  the  frigates  were  the  Chimere,  P  Engageante ; 
Aimable,  and  Alcb?ine  ;  the  corvette  was  the  Stanley.  The 
fleet  had  aboard  about  4,000  French  troops  of  the  line. 
The  next  day,  General  Sullivan  went  aboard  the  flagship 
Languedoc  and  had  a  conference  with  the  French  admiral. 
It  was  agreed  that  two  ships  of  the  line,  two  frigates,  and 
the  corvette  should  take  position  so  as  to  cut  off  the  re- 
treat of  the  enemy's  vessels  lying  in  the  bay. 

As  soon  as  this  plan  became  apparent  to  the  British, 
the  latter  ran  four  of  their  frigates — the  Lark,  Orpheus, 


II 


Juno,  and  Cerberus — ashore  and  burned  them.  Later, 
they  destroyed  other  ships  and  a  number  of  smaller  ves- 
sels by  burning  or  sinking  the  same  to  prevent  them 
being  taken  by  the  P'rench.  Altogether,  the  British  lost 
vessels  carrying  212  guns,  the  guns  also  being  lost.  On 
the  appearance  of  the  French,  the  British  troops  on 
Conanicut,  and  in  other  localities,  were  withdrawn.  The 
agreement  between  Sullivan  and  D'Estaing,  who  expected 
their  landing  on  the  island  of  Rhode  Island  would  be  con- 
tested, was  that  the  Americans  should  cross  over  from 
the  mainland  first  and  the  French  from  their  ships  next. 
It  was  later  decided,  however,  that  both  movements 
should  be  made  simultaneously.  Sullivan's  forces  on  Au- 
gust 4,  1778,  comprised  the  following 

Varnum's  brigade 

Glover's  brigade 

Cornell's  brigade 

Greene's  brigade 

Lovell's  brigade  . 

Titcomb's  brigade 

Livingston's  advance 

West's  reserve     . 

Artillery     . 

Total      . 

The  British  force  at  this  time  incl 
second,  Thirty-eighth,  Forty-third,  and  Fifty-fourth  reg- 
iments, the  Anspach  regiments  of  Vort  and  Seaboth,  the 
Royal  Artillery,  the  Hessian  Chasseurs,  the  King's  Amer- 
ican Regiment  (loyalists),  and  some  other  corps.     The 


• 

1,037 

. 

I.I31 

. 

1,719 

. 

1,626 

. 

1,158 

959 

659 

. 

1,025 

• 

810 

. 

10,124 

uded  the  Twenty 

12 

larger  part  of  these  troops  were  veterans.  A  large  portion 
of  Sullivan's  force  was  composed  of  volunteers  who  had 
never  been  in  action.  On  August  9,  1788,  D'Estaing 
began  landing  French  troops  on  Conanicut  island,  while 
Sullivan,  with  his  army,  began  crossing  over  from  Tiv- 
erton to  the  north  end  of  the  island  of  Rhode  Island. 
He  there  took  possession  of  the  redoubts  deserted  by  the 
British,  threw  up  new  ones,  posted  artillery  and  grad- 
ually extended  his  lines  in  the  direction  of  Newport. 
While  the  French  were  landing  on  Conanicut,  a  British 
fleet  under  Lord  Howe  was  seen  approaching  outside. 
D'Estaing  immediately  reembarked  his  troops,  regardless 
of  the  arrangements  with  Sullivan  for  the  attack  on  New- 
port, and  went  out  to  give  battle  to  the  incoming  fleet. 

This  sudden  change  of  tactics  on  the  French  com- 
mander's part  greatly  mortified  both  Sullivan  and 
Lafayette.  On  the  night  of  August  12  a  great  storm 
arose  which  scattered  both  fleets.  In  the  meantime, 
however,  the  French  had  engaged  some  of  the  British 
ships,  inflicting  and  receiving  damage.  D'Estaing  later 
returned  to  Newport,  but,  owing  to  the  injury  sustained 
by  his  fleet  in  the  storm,  decided  on  taking  his  ships  to 
Boston  for  repairs.  Sullivan  and  Lafayette  tried  to  induce 
him  to  remain  and  carry  out  the  design  against  Newport, 
but  were  unsuccessful.  The  ensuing  events  are  thus  told 
by  Sullivan  in  a  letter  to  the  President  of  Congress.  The 
letter  is  dated  Tiverton,  August  31,  1778  : 

•«  Esteemed  Sir  :  Upon  the  Count  D'Estaing  finding 
himself  under  the  necessity  of  going  to  Boston  to  repair 
the  loss  he  sustained  in  the  late  gale  of  wind,  I  thought 


J3 

it  best  to  carry  on  my  approaches  with  as  much  vigor  as 
possible  against  Newport,  that  no  time  might  be  lost  in 
making  the  attack  upon  the  return  of  his  fleet,  or  any 
part  of  it  to  cooperate  with  us.  I  had  sent  express  to  the 
Count  to  hasten  his  return,  which  I  had  no  doubt  would 
at  least  bring  back  a  part  of  his  fleet  to  us  in  a  few 
days. 

"Our  batteries  played  upon  the  enemy's  works  for  sev- 
eral days  with  apparent  good  success,  as  the  enemy's  fire 
from  their  outworks  visibly  grew  weaker,  and  they  began 
to  abandon  some  of  those  next  us ;  and  on  the  27th  we 
found  they  had  removed  their  cannon  from  all  the  out- 
works except  one. 

•«  The  town  of  Newport  is  defended  by  two  lines  sup- 
ported by  several  redoubts  connected  with  the  lines. 
The  first  of  these  lines  extends  from  a  large  pond,  called 
Easton's  pond,  near  to  Tommony  Hill,  and  then  turns  off" 
to  the  water  on  the  north  of  Windmill  Hill ;  this  line  was 
defended  by  five  redoubts  in  front. 

"  The  second  line  is  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  with- 
in this,  and  extends  from  the  sea  to  the  north  side  of  the 
island  terminating  at  the  North  Battery ;  on  the  south  at 
the  entrance  by  Easton's  beach,  where  this  line  termi- 
nates, is  a  redoubt  which  commands  the  pass,  and  has 
another  redoubt  about  twenty  rods  on  the  north ;  there 
are  a  number  of  small  works  interspersed  between  the 
lines,  which  render  an  attack  extremely  hazardous  on  the 
land  side,  without  a  naval  force  to  cooperate  with  it.  I, 
however,  should  have  attempted  carrying  the  works  by 
storm,  as  soon  as  I  found  they  had  withdrawn  their  can- 


14      ' 

rions  from  their  outworks,  had  I  not  found  to  my  great 
surprise  that  the  volunteers  which  composed  a  great  part 
of  the  army  had  returned  and  reduced  my  numbers  to 
little  more  than  that  of  the  enemy ;  between  two  and 
three  thousand  had  returned  in  the  course  of  twenty-four 
hours,  and  others  were  still  going  off  upon  a  supposition 
that  nothing  could  be  done  before  the  return  of  the 
French  fleet.  Under  these  circumstances  and  the  appre- 
hension of  the  arrival  of  an  English  fleet  with  a  reinforce- 
ment to  relieve  the  garrison,  I  sent  away  all  the  heavy 
articles  that  could  be  spared  from  the  army  to  the  main ; 
also  a  large  party  was  detached  to  get  the  works  in  repair 
on  the  north  end  of  the  island,  to  throw  up  some  addi- 
tional ones,  and  put  in  good  repair  the  batteries  at  Tiver- 
ton and  Bristol,  to  secure  a  retreat  in  case  of  necessity. 

"On  the  28th,  a  council  was  called  in  which  it  was 
unanimously  determined  to  remove  to  the  north  end  of 
the  island,  fortify  our  camp,  secure  our  communication 
with  the  main,  and  hold  our  ground  on  the  island  till  we 
could  know  whether  the  French  fleet  would  soon  return 
to  our  assistance.  On  the  evening  of  the  28th  we  moved 
with  our  stores  and  baggage,  which  had  not  been  pre- 
viously sent  forward,  and  about  two  in  the  morning  en- 
camped on  Butt's  Hill,  with  our  right  extending  to  the 
west  road,  and  left  to  the  east  road ;  the  flanking  and 
covering  parties  still  further  towards  the  water  on  the 
right  and  left.  One  regiment  was  posted  in  a  redoubt 
advanced  of  the  right  of  the  first  line.  Col.  Henry  B. 
Livingston,  with  a  light  corps  consisting  of  Colonel 
Jackson's  detachments  and  a  detachment  from  the  army, 


J5 

was  stationed  in  the  east  road.  Another  light  corps 
under  command  of  Colonel  Laurens,  Colonel  Fleury,  and 
Major  Talbot,  was  posted  on  the  west  road.  These 
corps  were  posted  near  three  miles  in  front;  in  the  rear 
of  those  was  the  picquet  of  the  army  commanded  by 
Colonel  Wade.  The  enemy  having  received  intelligence 
of  our  movements  came  out  early  in  the  morning  with 
nearly  their  whole  force  in  two  columns,  advanced  in  the 
two  roads  and  attacked  our  light  corps ;  they  made  a 
brave  resistance,  and  were  supported  for  some  time  by 
the  picquet. 

"  I  ordered  a  regiment  to  support  Colonel  Livingston, 
another  to  Colonel  Laurens,  and  at  the  same  time  sent 
them  orders  to  retire  to  the  main  army  in  the  best  order 
they  could.  They  kept  up  a  retreating  fire  upon  the 
enemy,  and  retired  in  excellent  order  to  the  main  army. 
The  enemy  advanced  on  our  left  very  near,  but  were 
repulsed  by  General  Glover ;  they  then  retired  to  Quaker 
Hill.  The  Hessian  column  formed  on  a  chain  of  hills 
running  northward  from  Quaker  Hill.  Our  army  was 
drawn  up,  the  first  line  in  front  of  the  works  on  Butt's 
Hill ;  the  second  in  rear  of  the  hill,  and  the  reserve  near 
a  creek  and  near  half  a  mile  in  the  rear  of  the  first  line. 
The  distance  between  those  hills  is  about  one  mile,  the 
ground  between  the  hills  is  meadow  land  interspersed 
with  trees  and  small  copse  wood.  The  enemy  began  a 
cannonade  upon  us  about  nine  in  the  morning,  which 
was  returned  with  double  force ;  skirmishing  continued 
between  the  advanced  parties  till  near  10  o'clock,  when 
the  enemy's  two  ships   of  war  and  some   small   armed 


i6 

Vessels  having  gained  our  right  flank  and  begun  a  fire, 
the  enemy  bent  their  whole  force  that  way,  and  endeav- 
ored to  turn  our  right  under  cover  of  the  ships'  fire,  and 
to  take  advanced  redoubt  on  the  right ;  they  were  twice 
driven  back  in  great  confusion ;  but  a  third  trial  was 
made  with  greater  numbers  and  more  resolution,  which, 
had  it  not  been  for  the  timely  aid  sent  forward,  would 
have  succeeded ;  a  sharp  conflict  of  near  an  hour  ensued, 
in  which  the  cannon  from  both  armies  placed  on  the  hills 
played  briskly  in  support  of  their  own  party. 

"The  enemy  were  at  length  routed,  and  fled  in  great 
confusion  to  the  hill  where  they  first  formed,  and  where 
they  had  artillery  and  some  works  to  cover  them,  leav- 
ing their  dead  and  wounded  in  considerable  numbers 
behind  them.  .  .  .  Colonel  Campbell  [British]  came 
out  the  next  day  to  gain  permission  to  view  the  field 
of  action  to  search  for  his  nephew  who  was  killed  by 
his  side,  whose  body  he  could  not  get  off,  as  they 
were  closely  pursued.  The  firing  of  artillery  continued 
through  the  day,  and  the  musketry,  with  intermission, 
six  hours  ;  the  heat  of  action  continued  near  an  hour, 
which  must  have  ended  in  the  ruin  of  the  British  army 
had  not  their  redoubts  on  the  hill  covered  them  from  fur- 
ther pursuit.  We  were  about  to  attack  them  in  their 
lines,  but  the  men  having  had  no  rest  the  night  before, 
and  nothing  to  eat  either  that  night  or  the  day  of  the 
action,  and  having  been  in  constant  action  through  most 
of  the  day,  it  was  not  thought  advisable,  especially  as 
their  position  was  exceedingly  strong,  and  their  numbers 
fully  equal,  if  not  superior,  to  ours. 


*7 

"  Not  more  than  fifteen  hundred  of  my  troops  had  ever 
been  in  action  before.  ...  I  have  the  pleasure  to 
inform  Congress  that  no  troops  could  possibly  show  more 
spirit  than  those  of  ours  which  were  engaged ;  Colonel 
Livingston,  and  all  the  officers  of  the  light  troops,  be- 
haved with  remarkable  spirit ;  Colonels  Laurens,  Fleury, 
and  Major  Talbot,  with  the  officers  of  that  corps,  behaved 
with  great  gallantry. 

"The  brigades  of  the  first  line,  Varnum's,  Glover's, 
Cornell's,  and  Greene's,  behaved  with  great  firmness. 
Major-General  Greene  who  commanded  in  the  attack  on 
the  right,  did  himself  the  highest  honor  by  the  judgment 
and  bravery  exhibited  in  the  action.  One  brigade  only 
of  the  second  line  was  brought  to  action,  commanded  by 
Brigadier-General  Lovell ;  he,  and  his  brigade  of  militia, 
behaved  with  great  resolution ;  Colonel  Crane  and  the 
officers  of  artillery  deserve  the  highest  praise.  I  enclose 
Congress  a  return  of  the  killed,  and  wounded,  and  miss- 
ing on  our  side,  and  beg  leave  to  assure  them  that  from 
our  own  observation  the  enemy's  loss  must  be  much 
greater.  Our  army  retired  to  camp  after  the  action,  the 
enemy  employed  themselves  in  fortifying  their  camp 
through  the  night ;  in  the  morning  of  the  30th,  I  re- 
ceived a  letter  from  his  excellency,  General  Washington, 
giving  me  notice  that  Lord  Howe  had  again  sailed  with 
the  fleet,  and  receiving  intelligence  at  the  same  time  that 
a  fleet  was  off"  Block  Island,  and  also  a  letter  from  Boston 
informing  me  that  the  Count  D'Estaing  could  not  come 
round  so  soon  as  I  expected.  A  council  was  called,  and 
as  we  could  have  no  prospect  of  operating  against  New- 


i8 

port  with  success,  without  the  assistance  of  a  fleet,  it  was 
unanimously  agreed  to  quit  the  island  until  the  return  of 
the  French  squadron ;  to  make  a  retreat  in  the  face  of  an 
enemy,  equal,  if  not  superior  in  number,  and  cross  a 
river  without  loss,  I  knew  was  an  arduous  task,  and  sel- 
dom accomplished  if  attempted ;  as  our  sentries  were 
within  200  yards  of  each  other  I  knew  it  would  require 
the  greatest  care  and  attention.  To  cover  my  design 
from  the  enemy,  I  ordered  a  number  of  tents  to  be 
brought  forward  and  pitched  in  sight  of  the  enemy,  and 
almost  the  whole  army  to  employ  themselves  in  fortifying 
the  camp. 

'*  The  heavy  baggage  and  stores  were  falling  back  and 
crossing  through  the  day ;  at  dark  the  tents  were  struck, 
the  light  baggage  and  troops  passed  down,  and  before  12 
o'clock  the  main  army  had  crossed,  with  stores  and  bag- 
gage. The  Marquis  de  Lafayette  arrived  about  11  in  the 
evening  from  Boston,  where  he  had  been  by  request  of 
the  general  officers,  to  solicit  the  speedy  return  of  the 
fleet.  He  was  sensibly  mortified  that  he  was  out  of  ac- 
tion, and  that  he  might  not  be  out  of  the  way  in  case  of 
action,  he  had  rode  from  hence  to  Boston  in  seven  hours, 
and  returned  in  six  and  a  half,  the  distance  near  seventy 
miles.  He  returned  time  enough  to  bring  off  the  pic- 
quets,  and  other  parties  which  covered  the  retreat  of  the 
army,  which  he  did  in  excellent  order ;  not  a  man  was 
left  behind,  not  the  smallest  article  lost.      .     .     .*■ 

The  loss  of  the  Americans  in  the  battle  was  211; 
(killed,  wounded,  and  missing),  and  that  of  the  British 
1023.      On   Sullivan's  staff  that   day  were   two  of  his 


*9 

brothers :  Captain  Eben  Sullivan,  aide-de-camp,  and 
James  Sullivan,  then  a  judge  of  the  Massachusetts  Su- 
perior Court.  In  one  spot  on  the  field  of  battle  sixty 
British  dead  were  found ;  in  another,  thirty  Hessians 
were  buried  in  one  grave.  Many  officers  and  men  of 
Irish  descent  served  in  Sullivan's  army  that  day.  Wash- 
ington complimented  Sullivan  and  his  army  upon  the 
result  of  the  battle.     Congress 

"Resolved,  That  the  retreat  made  by  Major-General 
Sullivan,  with  the  troops  under  his  command  from  Rhode 
Island,  was  prudent,  timely,  and  well  conducted,  and 
that  Congress  highly  approve  the  same,"  and  "That 
the  thanks  of  Congress  be  given  to  Major-General  Sulli- 
van, and  to  the  officers  and  troops  under  his  command, 
for  their  fortitude  and  bravery,  displayed  in  the  action  of 
August  29th,  in  which  they  repulsed  the  British  forces 
and  maintained  the  field." 

General  Sullivan's  modest  account  of  the  victory  won  by 
him  on  this  occasion,  is  well  supplemented  by  the  Hon. 
Samuel  G.  Arnold.  The  latter  in  an  address  at  Ports- 
mouth, R.  I.,  in  1878,  on  the  centennial  anniversary  of 
the  battle,  gives  the  following  account  of  the  latter  : 

"A  series  of  heavy  skirmishes  opened  the  engagement, 
and  a  regiment  was  sent  [by  Sullivan]  to  reinforce  each 
of  the  two  advanced  corps,  with  orders  for  them  to  retire 
upon  the  main  body,  which  was  done  in  perfect  order. 
The  accounts  vary  as  to  which  commenced  the  fight,  one 
attributing  it  to  Major  Talbot  on  the  west  road,  but  the 
most  circumstantial  point  to  a  spot  near  the  Gibbs  farm, 
where  a  cross  road  connects  the  two  main  roads,  and  to  a 


20 

fiefd  now  included  between  the  east  road  and  a  middle 
road  which  at  this  point  runs  north  from  the  cross  road 
and  parallel  with  the  main  road.  A  broad  field  enclosed 
by  stone  walls  at  this  corner  concealed  a  portion  of  the 
American  pickets.  The  Union  meeting-house  now  stands 
at  the  southeast  angle  of  this  field. 

"  Here  the  Twenty-second  British  regiment,  Colonel 
Campbell,  which  had  marched  out  by  the  east  road, 
divided,  and  one  half  of  it,  turning  to  the  left  into  the 
cross  road,  fell  into  the  ambuscade.  A  terrible  slaughter 
ensued.  The  Americans,  springing  from  behind  the 
walls,  poured  a  storm  of  bullets  upon  the  bewildered 
enemy,  and  reloaded  and  repeated  the  desolating  fire  be- 
fore the  British  could  recover  from  the  shock.  Nearly 
one  quarter  of  the  ill-fated  Twenty-second  were  stretched 
upon  the  field.  Two  Hessian  regiments  came  up  to  their 
relief,  but  too  late.  The  Americans,  according  to  orders, 
had  already  retreated  [to  the  main  body] . 

"A  general  assault  was  [then]  made  upon  the  Ameri- 
can left  wing.  This  was  repulsed  by  Gen.  Glover,  who 
drove  the  enemy  into  their  works  on  Quaker  hill.  Upon 
the  highlands  extending  north  from  the  hill  the  Hessian 
columns  were  formed.  The  American  army  was  drawn 
up  in  three  lines,  the  first  in  front  of  their  works  on  Butts 
hill,  the  second  in  rear  of  the  hill,  and  the  reserves  near  a 
creek  about  half  a  mile  in  rear  of  the  first  line.  Between 
the  two  hills  the  distance  is  about  one  mile,  with  low 
meadow  and,  at  that  time,  woodland  between.  At  nine 
o'clock  a  heavy  canonnade  commenced,  and  continued  the 
whole  day. 


21 

•'About  ten  o'clock  the  British  ships  of  war  and  some 
gunboats  came  up  the  bay  and  opened  fire  upon  the  Amer- 
ican right  flank.  Under  cover  of  this  fire  a  desperate  at- 
tempt was  made  to  turn  the  flank  and  storm  a  redoubt  on 
the  American  right.  The  British  right  wing  had  already 
been  repulsed  by  Gen.  Glover.  The  enemy  now  concen- 
trated his  whole  force  upon  the  new  point  of  attack.  The 
action  became  general,  and  for  nearly  seven  hours  raged 
with  fury,  but  between  ten  o'clock  and  noon  the  fighting 
was  most  desperate.  Down  the  slope  of  Anthony's  the 
Hessian  columns  and  British  infantry  twice  charged  upon 
the  forces  led  by  Major-General  Greene,  which  were  com- 
posed of  the  four  brigades  of  Varnum,  Cornell,  Glover, 
and  Christopher  Greene.  The  attacks  were  repulsed  with 
great  slaughter. 

1 « To  turn  the  flank  and  capture  the  redoubt  was  to  de- 
cide the  battle.  A  third  time,  with  added  ranks  and  the 
fury  of  despair,  the  enemy  rushed  to  the  assault.  The 
strength  of  the  Americans  was  well  nigh  spent  and  this 
last  charge  was  on  the  point  of  proving  successful  when 
two  events  occurred  which  turned  the  tide  of  battle.  Two 
Continental  battalions  were  thrown  forward  by  General 
Sullivan  to  the  support  of  his  exhausted  troops,  and  at  the 
critical  moment  a  desperate  charge  with  the  bayonet  was 
made  by  Colonel  Jackson's  regiment,  led  by  the  gallant 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Henry  B.  Livingston.  This  furious 
bayonet  charge,  says  an  eye  witness,  immediately  threw 
the  balance  of  victory  into  the  American  scale.  And  now 
it  was  that  the  newly  raised  black  regiment,  under  Col. 
Christopher  Greene,  justified  the  hopes  of  its  leaders  and 


22 

contributed  in  no  small  degree  to  decide  the  fortunes  of 
the  day.  Headed  by  their  major,  Samuel  Ward,  and 
posted  in  a  valley,  they  three  times  drove  back  the  Hes- 
sians, who  strove  in  vain  to  dislodge  them,  and  so  bloody 
was  the  struggle  that  on  the  day  after  the  battle  the  Hes- 
sian colonel  who  had  led  the  charge  applied  for  a  change 
of  command,  because  he  dared  not  lead  his  regiment 
again  to  action  lest  his  men  should  shoot  him  for  causing 
them  so  great  a  loss. 

"While  the  fight  was  raging  at  the  right  and  centre  of 
the  line,  the  Massachusetts  brigade,  under  General  Lov- 
ell,  attacked  the  British  right  and  rear  with  complete  suc- 
cess. Two  heavy  batteries  brought  forward  to  engage 
the  ships  of  war  obliged  them  to  haul  off.  The  desperate 
attempt  to  turn  the  American  flank  had  failed,  and  the 
battle  was  already  won  by  Sullivan.  The  British  retreated 
to  their  camp,  closely  pursued  by  the  victorious  Ameri- 
cans, who  captured  one  of  their  batteries  on  Quaker  hill. 
Sullivan  then  desired  to  storm  the  works,  but  the  ex- 
hausted condition  of  his  troops,  who  had  been  for  thirty- 
two  hours  without  rest  or  food,  and  continually  on  the 
march,  at  labor  or  in  battle,  compelled  him  to  abandon 
the  attempt.  The  hand-to-hand  fighting  was  over  early 
in  the  afternoon,  but  the  cannonade  continued  until 
night." 

In  the  army  was  a  picked  corps  known  as  Sullivan's 
Life  Guards.  They  behaved  with  great  gallantry  through- 
out the  action  and  rendered  valuable  service.  In  recog- 
nition thereof  Sullivan  issued  the  following : 


23 

44  Headquarters,  September  10,  1778. 

M  General  Orders  for  the  Day — Tomorrow. 

44  At  the  gallant  behavior  of  the  General's  Guards  on 
Rhode  Island,  the  General  expresses  his  highest  satisfac- 
tion, and  returns  them  his  thanks,  and  appoints  Aaron 
Mann,  who  commanded  the  Guards  on  Rhode  Island,  to 
the  rank  of  Captain ;  Levi  Hopkins,  First  Lieutenant ; 
George  Potter,  Second  Lieutenant,  and  John  Wescott, 
Ensign.  The  General  assures  them  they  shall  have  their 
Commissions  as  soon  as  possible. 

4 'John  Sullivan." 

Colonel  Ephraim  Bowen  of  Rhode  Island  was  ap- 
pointed Quartermaster-General  in  the  United  States 
army,  and  in  June,  1778,  was  assigned  to  the  Rhode 
Island  department.  October  20,  1778,  he  writes  to  Gen. 
Nathaniel  Greene  that  he  has  borrowed  of  Sullivan  44  one 
hundred  and  forty  thousand  dollars,  which  he  wishes  me 
to  return  as  soon  as  convenient.  If  it  is  possible  wish 
it  might  be  sent  forward,  and  at  the  same  time  should  be 
glad  to  receive  some  for  the  department.1'  Writing  to 
Greene  from  Providence,  November  14,  1778,  Bowen 
says:  44Have  paid  General  Sullivan  out  of  the  money 
you  last  sent  me,  sixty-five  thousand  dollars,  which  leaves 
a  balance  of  seventy-five  thousand  more.  I  have  directed 
all  accounts  whatever  to  be  made  up  to  the  last  of  this 
month,  that  you  may  have  the  true  and  exact  amounts  of 
the  disbursements  of  the  department." 

Sullivan  remained  in  command  in  the  state  until  March, 
1779,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Gates.     Previous  to  his 


24 

departure,  however,  he  was  presented  with  the  following 
address  by  the  town  of  Providence : 

11  To  Major- General  John  Sullivan  : 

11  Sir, — As  you  have  sustained  the  high  office  of  com- 
mander-in-chief at  this  post  for  about  a  year  past,  and 
during  that  whole  time  have  carefully  attended  to,  and 
cordially  promoted  the  peace,  interest,  and  safety  of  the 
state  in  general,  and  of  this  town  in  particular,  all  that 
prudence  could  suggest,  that  diligence  could  effect  or 
valor  attempt,  has  been  done  for  us.  But  as  the  service 
of  America  is  now  to  deprive  us  of  your  further  continu- 
ance here,  and  calls  you  to  fill  the  same  high  office,  in 
more  important  commands,  we  can  do  no  less  than  hon- 
estly to  return  you  our  sincere  thanks  and  most  grateful 
acknowledgments,  wishing  you  the  blessings  of  Heaven, 
success  in  all  your  efforts  to  serve  your  country,  that 
you  may  happily  tread  the  courts  of  virtue,  and  finally 
reach  the  temple  of  fame. 

"We  are,  Sir,  with  every  sentiment  of  gratitude  and 
the  highest  respect,  Your  Honor's  most  obedient  humble 
servants. 

"  Signed  by  the  unanimous  order  and  in  behalf  of  a 
town  meeting  of  the  freemen  of  the  town  of  Provi- 
dence, assembled  on  the  i8th  day  of  March,  1779. 

"  Theodore  Foster,  Town  Clerk" 

GENERAL   SULLIVAN'S   REPLY. 

"  To  the  respectable  freemen  and  inhabitants  of  the 
town  of  Providence :  Permit  me,  Gentlemen,  to  return 
you  my  most  sincere  and  cordial  acknowledgments,  for 


25 

your  very  polite  and  affectionate  address.  The  unani- 
mous voice  of  so  respectable  a  number  of  my  fellow  citi- 
zens, approving  my  conduct  as  Commander-in-chief  of 
this  department,  affords  me  unspeakable  satisfaction ; 
and  it  is  with  great  truth  and  sincerity,  I  assure  you, 
that  the  parting  with  so  spirited  and  virtuous  a  people, 
whose  efforts  to  support  me  in  my  commands  and  to  op- 
pose the  common  enemy  have  so  well  witnessed  their  zeal 
for  the  interests  of  America,  gives  me  the  most  sensible 
pain  ;  and,  in  a  great  degree,  damps  the  pleasure  arising 
from  a  prospect  of  rendering  my  country  essential  ser- 
vice, in  the  department  to  which  I  am  called. 

•«  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  with  the  most  lively  senti- 
ments of  esteem  and  gratitude,  Gentlemen,  your  obedient 

servant, 

"  John  Sullivan." 

Addresses  were  also  presented  General  Sullivan  by  the 
officers  of  the  army  in  Rhode  Island,  the  surgeons  of 
General  Glover's  brigade,  and  by  other  bodies.  Previ- 
ous to  his  departure  from  Providence,  Sullivan  was 
entertained  at  a  grand  banquet  and  other  courtesies  were 
extended  him.  On  leaving,  he  was  accompanied  out  of 
town  by  Generals  Glover  and  Varnum,  officers  from  each 
corps  of  the  army,  and  many  leading  citizens.  An  artil- 
lery salute  of  thirteen  guns  rounded  out  the  farewell. 

After  the  war,  Sullivan  resumed  the  practice  of  law  in 
New  Hampshire  ;  was  a  member  of  Congress,  became  attor- 
ney-general, president  of  the  state  senate,  was  three  times 
elected  chief  magistrate  (governor)  of  the  state,  and  at 
his  death,  in  1795,  was  federal  judge  for  New  Hampshire. 


26 

In  October,  1779,  Newport  was  evacuated  by  the  British. 
For  a  long  time  their  position  in  the  town  and  on  the 
island  had  been  a  trying  one.  Food  at  times  was  scarce, 
scurvy  broke  out,  and  there  was  much  suffering.  Fuel 
ran  low,  necessitating  the  destruction  of  wharves  and 
houses  to  obtain  firewood.  Several  hundred  houses  and 
other  buildings  were  thus  demolished.  The  evacuation 
took  place  October  25. 

Some  six  or  seven  thousand  troops  were  embarked 
in  fifty-two  transports  and  were  accompanied  by  a 
large  number  of  refugees  and  other  royalists.  The  light- 
house at  Beaver  Tail  was  burned  and  much  other  damage 
done.  The  enemy  took  away  the  records  of  Newport, 
and  the  vessel  containing  them  was  sunk  near  New  York. 
They  remained  under  water  three  years  when  they  were 
finally  dredged  up,  brought  back  to  Newport  and  copies 
made  where  it  was  possible.  But  over  thirty  volumes 
were  a  total  loss.  On  the  morning  of  October  26,  Gen. 
John  Stark  crossed  over  from  Tiverton  at  the  head  of  a 
body  of  troops  and  took  possession  of  Newport.  The 
British  were  never  again  in  control. 


PUBLIC  CAREER  OF  GEN.  JOHN  SULLIVAN. 

Major  in  the  New  Hampshire  militia. 
Conducts,  with  John  Langdon,  a  successful  expedition 
against  Fort  William  and  Mary. 

Member  of  the  Continental  Congress. 
Brigadier-general  in  the  Continental  army. 
Participates  in  the  siege  of  Boston. 


27 

Raises  2,000  New  Hampshire  men  for  the  patriot 
cause. 

Is  ordered  to  Rhode  Island  with  a  brigade  to  repel  a 
threatened  British  attack. 

Commands  the  Northern  army. 

Holds  chief  command  on  Long  Island. 

Is  commissioned  major-general. 

Assists  Gens.  Lincoln  and  Stirling  and  8,000  men  in 
holding  at  bay  a  British  force  of  23,000  men. 

Leads  the  American  right  wing  to  join  Washington  on 
the  Delaware. 

Commands  the  right  on  the  passage  of  the  river  and 
the  capture  of  the  Hessians  at  Trenton. 

Participates  in  the  Battle  of  Princeton. 

Makes  a  night  descent  on  Staten  Island. 

Commands  the  American  right  at  the  Brandywine  and 
at  Germantown,  where  he  defeats  the  British  left. 

Is  appointed  to  command  the  Rhode  Island  depart- 
ment. 

Instrumental  in  raising  10,000  men,  in  a  few  weeks,  for 
the  siege  of  Newport,  R.  I. 

Greets  D'Estaing,  the  French  admiral,  on  the  latter's 
arrival  (1778)  with  a  French  fleet  off  Newport. 

Engages  and  repulses  the  British  at  the  battle  of  Rhode 
Island  (August  29,  1778). 

Enters  the  Iroquois  country,  in  New  York  (1779),  to 
punish  the  savages  and  their  British  allies,  which  he  does 
very  effectually. 

Defeats  a  force  under  Joseph  Brandt  and  Sir  John 
Johnson. 


28 

"Again  a  member  of  the  Continental  Congress. 

Assists  in  reorganizing  the  army,  and  establishing  the 
national  finances  and  public  credits. 

Chairman  of  the  committee  that  aided  in  suppressing 
the  mutiny  (1781)  of  Pennsylvania  troops. 

President  (governor)  of  New  Hampshire  (i786-189). 

Member  of  the  state  constitutional  convention  (1784). 

Commissioner  to  settle  the  "  New  Hampshire  Grants" 
difficulty  with  Vermont. 

United  States  judge  for  New  Hampshire. 

General  Sullivan's  son,  the  Hon.  George  Sullivan,  was, 
like  his  father,  a  lawyer  of  note,  became  attorney-general 
of  New  Hampshire,  a  state  senator,  and  a  member  of 
Congress. 

PUBLIC  CAREER  OF  THE  HON.  JAMES  SULLIVAN  (BROTHER 
OF  GEN.  JOHN  SULLIVAN). 

Member  of  the  Provincial  Congress  of  Massachusetts 

0775)« 

Executes  a  difficult  mission  to  Ticonderoga. 

Is  appointed  a  judge  of  the  Massachusetts  Superior 
Court  (1776). 

Member  of  the  State  Constitutional  Convention. 

Delegate  from  Massachusetts  to  the  Continental  Con- 
gress. 

Serves  with  his  brother,  Eben,  on  the  staff  of  their 
brother,  Gen.  John  Sullivan,  at  the  battle  of  Rhode 
Island. 

Repeatedly  a  member  of  the  Massachusetts  state  legis- 
lature. 


29 

Commissioner  to  settle  land  controversy  between  Mas- 
sachusetts and  New  York  (1784). 

Member  of  the  council  of  the  governor  of  Massachu- 
setts. 

Judge  of  probate,  Suffolk  county,  Mass. 

Attorney-General  of  Massachusetts. 

Governor  of  Massachusetts  (1 807-1 808). 

Commissioner  (appointed  by  Washington)  to  settle 
boundary  between  the  United  States "  and  the  British 
North  American  provinces. 

Projector  of  the  Middlesex  Canal,  Massachusetts,  his 
son,  John  Langdon  Sullivan,  being  agent  and  engineer 
for  the  construction  of  the  same. 

A  founder,  and  for  many  years  president,  of  the 
Massachusetts  Historical  Society. 


A  BIBLIOGRAPHY  OF  THE  SULLIVAN  FAMILY. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  works  by  the  late  Mr.  Thomas 
C.  Amory  of  Boston,  on  the  Sullivan  family: 

The  Life  of  James  Sullivan,  with  selections  from  his 
Writings  (2  vols.,  Boston,  Mass.,  1859). 

The  Military  Services  and  Public  Life  of  Major-General 
John  Sullivan  of  the  American  Revolutionary  Army. 
(Albany,  N.  Y.,  and  Boston,  Mass.,  1868.) 

General  John  Sullivan  :  A  Vindication  of  his  Character 
as  a  Soldier  and  a  Patriot.  From  the  Historical  Maga- 
zine for  December,  1866.      (Morrisania,  N.  Y.,  1867.  ) 

The  Military  Services  of  Major-General  John  Sullivan 


3° 

in  the  American  Revolution  Vindicated  from  recent  His- 
torical Criticism.      (Cambridge,  Mass.,  1868.) 

Master  Sullivan  of  Berwick,  his  Ancestors  and  De- 
scendants. 

General  Sullivan  not  a  Pensioner  of  Luzerne.  (Cam- 
bridge, Mass.,  1875.) 

Memoir  of  Hon.  William  Sullivan.  (Cambridge, 
Mass.,  1879.) 

Daniel  Sullivan's  Visits,  May  and  June,  1781,  to  Gen- 
eral  John  Sullivan.      (Cambridge,  Mass.,  1884.) 

Memoir  of  Hon.  Richard  Sullivan.  (Cambridge, 
Mass.,  1885.) 

Materials  for  a  History  of  the  Family  of  John  Sullivan 
of  Berwick,  New  England,  and  of  the  O'Sullivans  of 
Ardea,  Ireland.      (Cambridge,  Mass.,  1893.) 

Centennial  Memoir  of  Major-General  John  Sullivan, 
1 740-1 795  (presented  at  Independence  Hall,  Philadel- 
phia, July  2,  1876;  printed  at  Philadelphia,  1878-9). 


•  •     •       •  • 
•      •••••• 


31 


The  following  letter,  written  in  1900,  to  the  author  of 
this  leaflet,  has  a  bearing  upon  the  subject  just  treated : 


My  Dear  Mr.  Murray: 

Mr.  R.  H.  Tilley  has  advised  me  to  write  you,  as  a 
valuable  man  to  interest  in  a  project  which  should  be  of 
interest  to  every  loyal  Rhode  Islander. 

The  old  historic  fort  on  Butts  Hill  in  Portsmouth  is 
being  surveyed  with  the  idea  of  selling  in  small  lots,  and 
thus  totally  obliterating  the  fort  where  General  Sulli- 
van and  his  troops  fought  so  well  and  so  bravely. 
Does  it  not  seem  as  if  this  spot  should  be  preserved  if 
possible?  I  believe  a  bill  was  introduced  into  the  legis- 
lature some  time  ago,  making  this  fort  a  state  park,  but 
nothing  has  since  been  heard  of  it,  so  far  as  I  can  find 
out. 

Miss  Swinburne,  regent  of  William  Ellery  Chapter, 
D.  A.  R..  and  I  are  very  desirous  of  rousing  among  the 
patriotic  societies  a  sufficient  interest  to  save  this  well- 
preserved  relic  of  Revolutionary  days.  It  seems  a  pecu- 
liarly fitting  season  to  begin  the  agitation,  and  I  hope 


X 


32 


that  some  of  the  speakers" on  Wednesday,  both  at  the 
celebration  by  your  own  Historical  Society  and  also  at 
the  meeting  of  the  Sons  of  the  Revolution  on  the  same 
day,  may  feel  inclined  to  call  attention  to  this  subject. 

I  talked  with  Mr.  Tilley1  yesterday  and  found  him  as 
kindly  disposed  to  help  as  I  could  desire,  and  he  has 
promised  to  add  his  word  in  support  of  my  request 
whenever  he  may  chance  to  see  you.  I  can  answer  for 
my  own  Gaspee  Chapter,  D.  A.  R.,  if  our  assistance  is 
needed,  but  with  such  influence  as  you  could  wield, 
cooperating  with  the  S.  A.  R.  and  S.  R.  of  the  state,  I 
feel  very  hopeful  of  success  in  our  patriotic  project. 

I  do  not  feel  as  if  I  had  at  all  adequately  presented  my 
case,  but  it  is  very  hard  to  condense  all  that  might  be 
said  on  such  a  subject  into  the  limits  of  a  reasonable 
note.  I  hope  you  will  recognize  my  endeavor  to  save 
your  valuable  time,  and  read  into  my  words  an  enthusi- 
astic interest  which  I  have  not  expressed. 
Very  sincerely  yours, 

Margaret  B.  F.  Lippitt, 
Regent,  Gaspee  Chapter,  D.  A.  R. 

Newport,  R.  I.,  August  twenty-sixth. 

i  State  Record  Commissioner  of  Rhode  Island. 


This  leaflet  is  issued  at  Providence,  R.  I.,  August  i,  1902,  by  the 
American- Irish  Historical  Society. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 
BERKELEY 

Return  to  desk  from  which  borrowed. 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


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